5 Things That Caught Our 👀 - Vol. 7

With trends and media evolving faster each day, here are five insights we think you should be aware of.

1. Beauty is for Boys

Increasingly, men have been venturing beyond their traditional gender roles - experimenting with products previously marketed toward women. More men have bought purses. Spending on fragrance by teenage boys has increased 26% - and they have been sharing their interest in skincare and influencing each other to experiment with makeup.

As traditional gender roles continue to evolve, brands are met with new opportunities. Could Pinterest (whose users are 76% women) attract more men as both a resource and a sense of inspiration? Will the ultra masculine and practical approach of marketing and product design of many men’s fitness brands be challenged by younger generations opting for more aesthetic brands like Bala that have traditionally focused on women?

2. Podcasts are the new news channel.

In the last year, the number of people who had listened to a podcast in the last month increased by 15 million people. And now people aren’t just listening - they’re watching. The number of people who said they prefer podcasts with video grew by 10% to a total of 42% in the last year. The recent election highlighted the impact of podcasts with candidates making appearances on multiple podcasts, influencing public opinion. In 2024, over a third of US adults said they got some news from podcasts, 6% of US adults reported that it was their main news source for information relating to politics and the election, and 40% of adults under 30 looked to individual creators as a news source.

This momentum will continue, making podcasts the new news channel. Brands can’t just assume this is simply a channel with ad spots. Rather, this is a channel of influence and information.

3. An office makeover, or takeover

From RTO debates or the rise of Gen Z in the workplace - workplace culture has been a topic for debate.  Most people in the US feel as though they have a good level of job security, but less than a third feel good about their pay. Over 80% of employees were at risk of burnout this past year, yet 72% of people say that having a good work-life balance is extremely important. Lunch breaks are no more - with 50% of Gen Z, 38% of Millennials and 27% of Gen X saying they miss their lunch break twice a week.

While tension can build from these contradictions, employees are also advocating more for what they want. The rate of students who reneged on full-time job offers doubled in the past three years.  Gen Z and Millennials have won higher rates of sick leave than older generations. Given that younger generations are stepping into power, employers need to think about how to make the workplace somewhere people want to go, rather than have to. ASICS got a headstart, encouraging people to take breaks throughout the work day. Even our fun “Hooky for Hockey” effort around the NHL home opener encouraged employers to let their employees take a break from the work day to enjoy opening day.

Will more brands support employees and make the work/life experience more balanced and, dare we say, enjoyable?

4. Out with the old?

2024 was the year of comebacks. Social media users begged for a revival of the Vera Bradley bags, and the brand responded - bringing new attention to the seasoned brand. Tween brand Limited Too announced efforts at a “comeback.” Even 55-year-old L’Eggs relaunched with a retro look after being purchased by HanesBrands.

Lush, Diptyque, and Urban Decay each re-launched archival, discontinued products to capitalize on the lure of nostalgia. But with so much focus on the past ‘good old days’, will we experience a swing - and increasing desire to look toward the future? Ultra modern fashion has been starting to gain popularity in Asia and also amongst Gen Z. Is this the start of a new attitude for 2025 that’s all about ‘what’s next?’

5. The dichotomy of love

Our relationships with love are complicated. Romance is now the “highest-grossing genre in book publishing - with print sales of romance books more than doubling last year. #BookTok on social media fuels the flames. Across generations, the Rococo era—a Late Baroque period that was both opulent and ultra-feminine - is having an effect on fashion and home goods alike. Gen Z and Boomers are driving this trend toward classic corset gowns, luxe accessories and ornate tablescapes.

But at the same time, dating app downloads decreased by 50 million last year and related discourse on social media has been increasingly negative. In fact, some women are now choosing to abstain from relationships with men as a political statement.

Are more people simply thinking about romance, but not finding it? Will love become a form of expression, rather than a practice? Is romance our biggest unmet need? Can brands win by exploring the more fun, artistic expressions of romance - delivering the fun butterflies of love vs. focusing on relationships themselves? Can brands truly make people fall in love - or back in love - with them?